Now this guy knows how to make an entrance.

Virginia City Councilman Nathan Clark showed up to a meeting Tuesday ready to make a statement.

As reported by The Virginian-Pilot, Tuesday was a big night: The Portsmouth council was set to consider a resolution that would declare it a Second Amendment Sanctuary.

It’s an increasingly popular thing to do.

Here’s the AP in late December:

Since Democrats won majorities in the state Senate and House of Delegates in November, more than 100 cities, towns and counties have passed such resolutions, vowing to oppose any new gun laws they believe violate the Second Amendment.

There’s certainly reason for gun owners to be concerned.

RedState’s legendary streiff expertly explained the situation Saturday:

Shortly after taking power, Virginia Democrats passed a bill that would require owners of modern sporting rifles to either give them up or risk becoming felons. From areas outside Fairfax and Arlington and other leftwing strongholds the reaction was swift. The Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins said he would create a new class of deputy sheriffs that would be open to anyone with a modern sporting rifle. Since then the gun grab has been nearly universal, 91 out of 95 counties, 13 out of 38 independent cities, and 24 towns have adopted Second Amendment sanctuary resolutions which would effectively bar local law enforcement from enforcing the gun grab.

Now check out Nathan Clark: He came to the meeting Tuesday armed with his AR-15.

The dude was wearing a rifle.

From The Virginian-Pilot:

Clark — who is seeking re-election this year — brought his gun and issued a press release to emphasize his support for hundreds of Second Amendment advocates who packed chambers to capacity.

Not everyone was giddy over Nathan’s overt support for bearing arms.

Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke wrote the following to the council Thursday morning:

“[Nathan’s move] was a disgrace, disheartening and an embarrassment. Most of us were blindsided by the display.”

Purportedly, she suggested he apologize.

Councilman Bill Moody saw it differently:

“I do not believe that Council(man) Clark needs to apologize for exercising his right as a law enforcement officer to carry his weapon to a public meeting. I can appreciate liberals’ knee jerk reactions, but if they have a problem with the law, they should use the system they now control to change it.”

Things got messier: Nathan issued a press release prior to the meeting, explaining his decision to carry in his gun. That prompted a response from Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was fatally wounded during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre:

“My daughter did not know someone carrying an AR 15 would kill her. Citizens you represent should not be forced to accept (your) engaging in open intimidation with (your) AR 15.”

Was it intimidation? Was that the point?

Nathan spoke to WTKR about that:

“I had a lot of people come to talk to me after it. I didn’t see anybody — no one appeared intimidated. You know, the police officers that were there…they were aware that I had it.”

Virginia is headed toward some bad stuff.

Here’s Trump on Friday:

Your 2nd Amendment is under very serious attack in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia. That’s what happens when you vote for Democrats, they will take your guns away. Republicans will win Virginia in 2020. Thank you Dems!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2020

Monday will see a protest at the state capitol — featuring both pro-2A peeps and Antifa (see all about that here).

In the meantime, though, Nathan’s still got his AR. And Portsmouth has now officially joined the roughly 90% of Virginia counties proclaiming themselves Sanctuary cities.

That makes me think perhaps Trump is right. Democrats may not be into guns, but they’re shooting themselves in the foot.

At least Nathan is trained not to do that.

-ALEX

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